Swipe on a little mascara and you feel instantly more glam and polished. But the power of darkening your eyelashes runs much deeper than that. It makes the whites of your eyes look brighter—which, from an evolutionary standpoint, signals health, femininity, and youth, says David B. Givens, Ph.D., author of Love Signals: A Practical Field Guide to the Body Language of Courtship. Experts explain how to fatten up your fringe and improve your batting average.

Looking gorgeous starts with using the right tool for the job. Here, a crib sheet to help you choose the best applicator if your lashes are...

Sparse
A wider spool with separated bristles will help cover each strand without clumps, "and allow you to apply multiple coats to build thicker fringe," says Raychel Wade, a makeup artist in New York City.

Last year, a prescription treatment for lash growth called Latisse rocked the beauty world. Its formula relies on an ingredient called bimatoprost to beef up lashes within 16 weeks. Cosmetics companies rushed to make similar OTC versions, replacing bimatoprost with peptides and vitamins. One caveat: While growth serums are effective on any lash type, your lashes will likely go back to normal if you stop using the products, says Wendy W. Lee, M.D., an ophthalmic plastic surgeon in Miami.

"Extensions are so natural-looking, they work day or night without seeming over-the-top," says Soul Lee, Shu Uemura lash and brow expert. For a seamless look, apply three lashes at the top outer corners, then seal together with a coat of mascara.

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